Fanmix Track 3: Kiss with a Fist by Florence and the Machine
I'm not usually a fan of songs about love and domestic violence. Eminem's song with Rhianna made me really uncomfortable, to the point that I couldn't listen to it when it came on the radio. But for some reason, Kiss With a Fist is just a really enjoyable song.
I think there are a lot of reasons why the violence in this song doesn't bother me, and most of those are the same reasons why the song applies so well to Buffy's fight with Spike right before they have sex for the first time in Smashed.
First, the violence is described using extremely cartoon-ish language:
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
I can almost see the little "POW!" boxes coming out of our characters' fist, and the ridiculousness of setting a bed on fire actually makes sense in the context of a fight that ends with our heroes literally collapsing a house around them.
Both characters in the song give as good as they get, which removes a lot of the exploitative and gendered components that accompany most domestic violence. This isn't about a powerful bully beating up a weak kid, this is about two equals taking each other on and apparently loving every second, ending the fight with a awkwardly friendly call to hang out together:
So let's sit back and watch the bed burn
It doesn't seem like there are any lasting physical repercussions either:
Your slaps don't stick
Your kicks don't hit
So we remain the same
In the final two lines of the chorus, the music drops out and exposes what could be interpreted as part of a dialogue between Buffy and Spike: she tells him that he's "in love with pain," and he replies that he'll take whatever he can get:
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
The song is also extremely catchy and fun to listen to. The upbeat punk guitar has just enough distortion to be interesting without sounding over-produced. The relatively sparse music gives Florence's voice the opportunity to shine, even though her vocals are more constrained here than on the rest of the album, Lungs. If you haven't already listened to it, I would definitely recommend checking out the whole record. Although it's not seamless from start to finish, there's not a single bad track, and it's much, much better than her follow-up Ceremonials.
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
My black eye casts no shadow
Your red eye sees no pain
Your slaps don't stick
Your kicks don't hit
So we remain the same
Blood sticks, sweat drips
Break the lock if it don't fit
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
A-woah a kiss with a fist is better than none
Broke your jaw once before
Spilt your blood upon the floor
You broke my leg in return
So let's sit back and watch the bed burn
Well love sticks sweat drips
Break the lock if it don't fit
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
A-woah a kiss woth a fist is better than none
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
I think there are a lot of reasons why the violence in this song doesn't bother me, and most of those are the same reasons why the song applies so well to Buffy's fight with Spike right before they have sex for the first time in Smashed.
First, the violence is described using extremely cartoon-ish language:
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
I can almost see the little "POW!" boxes coming out of our characters' fist, and the ridiculousness of setting a bed on fire actually makes sense in the context of a fight that ends with our heroes literally collapsing a house around them.
Both characters in the song give as good as they get, which removes a lot of the exploitative and gendered components that accompany most domestic violence. This isn't about a powerful bully beating up a weak kid, this is about two equals taking each other on and apparently loving every second, ending the fight with a awkwardly friendly call to hang out together:
So let's sit back and watch the bed burn
It doesn't seem like there are any lasting physical repercussions either:
Your slaps don't stick
Your kicks don't hit
So we remain the same
In the final two lines of the chorus, the music drops out and exposes what could be interpreted as part of a dialogue between Buffy and Spike: she tells him that he's "in love with pain," and he replies that he'll take whatever he can get:
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
The song is also extremely catchy and fun to listen to. The upbeat punk guitar has just enough distortion to be interesting without sounding over-produced. The relatively sparse music gives Florence's voice the opportunity to shine, even though her vocals are more constrained here than on the rest of the album, Lungs. If you haven't already listened to it, I would definitely recommend checking out the whole record. Although it's not seamless from start to finish, there's not a single bad track, and it's much, much better than her follow-up Ceremonials.
Click to viewYou hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate
Over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
My black eye casts no shadow
Your red eye sees no pain
Your slaps don't stick
Your kicks don't hit
So we remain the same
Blood sticks, sweat drips
Break the lock if it don't fit
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
A-woah a kiss with a fist is better than none
Broke your jaw once before
Spilt your blood upon the floor
You broke my leg in return
So let's sit back and watch the bed burn
Well love sticks sweat drips
Break the lock if it don't fit
A kick in the teeth is good for some
A kiss with a fist is better than none
A-woah a kiss woth a fist is better than none
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate over my head
Then I set fire to our bed
You hit me once
I hit you back
You gave a kick
I gave a slap
You smashed a plate over my head
Then I set fire to our bed